1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a camera, and in particular, to a film cartridge chamber and a battery chamber within the camera that are easily discernible from each other.
2. Background of Related Art
As illustrated in FIG. 9, a conventional camera includes a single opening 101 through which a cartridge chamber and a battery chamber are accessible. The opening 101 of the film cartridge chamber is provided in the back surface of the camera, and the film cartridge chamber cover 102, which opens and closes the opening 101, is attached to rotate about a shaft 103 disposed in the vertical direction on the back surface. A film cartridge is loaded into the film cartridge chamber by inserting it in a direction orthogonal to the axis of the film cartridge. A battery is inserted into a battery chamber adjacent the film cartridge chamber from an opening that is the same as or distinct from (not shown) the opening 101. The opening for the battery is formed in the side surface, back surface or bottom surface of the camera.
In a conventional camera, however, the opening 101 is large enough to cover a substantial portion of the back surface of the camera, as illustrated in FIG. 9. Correspondingly, the film cartridge chamber cover 102 that fits over the opening 101 is also large. When the film cartridge chamber cover 102 is opened in order to insert or remove a film cartridge, a large portion of the internal area of the camera is exposed. Because the film cartridge chamber cover 102 extends rearward when it is open, users experience difficulty in manipulating the camera. As a result, the process of inserting and removing film cartridges can lead to damaged equipment and/or film due to mishandling or missed opportunities for photographs.
It is possible to reduce the size of the opening 101 of the film cartridge chamber and the film cartridge chamber cover. However, if the battery chamber is accessed through the opening 10, the opening 101 must still be dimensioned large enough receive the battery. If a separate opening is used, often the battery chamber cover and the film cartridge chamber cover are substantially similar in size. Thus, distinguishing the two covers based on their external appearance is difficult, especially in low light conditions. A user could, for example, inadvertently open the film cartridge chamber when intending to remove the battery.